Rig Veda 8.75.9: Mandala 8, Sukta 75, Mantra 9
Sukta 8.75
- Devata
- Agni as protector through hostile surround
- Chandas
- Likely Anuṣṭubh
- Rasa
- Bhayankara and Shanta (peace)
मा नः समस्य दूढ्यः परिद्वेषसो अंहतिः । ऊर्मिर्न नावमा वधीत् ॥
mā́ naḥ samásya dūḍhyàḥ pári-dveṣaso aṃhatíḥ | ū́rmir ná nā́vam ā́ vadhīt ||
Niech miażdżący atak otaczających nienawistników nie powali nas, jak fala, która uderza w łódź, gdy znajdujemy się w zgiełku wspólnego konfliktu.
Word by Word
- मा
- do notIndeclinableनिषेधार्थक अव्यय; आज्ञार्थ/विधिलिङ्/लोट् के साथ प्रयुक्तRoot मा (निषेध) / mā́ (prohibitive particle)
- नः
- to us / of usPronounषष्ठी/चतुर्थी? बहुवचन; एन्क्लिटिक रूप ‘नः’ = ‘our/us’ (gen./dat. pl.)Role Sampradāna (हित/अहित-सम्बन्ध) / सम्बन्ध (gen.)Root अस्मद् (प्रथमपुरुष सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
- समस्य
- of the same (one) / of that (equal)Noun/Adjectiveषष्ठी एकवचन (समस्य = ‘of the same/that one’); वैदिक प्रयोग में ‘समस्/सम’ = ‘सम/एक-सा’Role सम्बन्ध (genitive qualifier)Root समस् (प्रातिपदिक) / सम (विशेषण)
- दूढ्यः
- hard/hostile (lit. difficult; Vedic epithet)Adjective (Kṛdanta)प्रथमा एकवचन पुल्लिङ्ग (विशेषण/नामवत्); अर्थ: ‘दुह्य/दूढ्य’ = ‘दुहने योग्य/दुहाया हुआ’ → वैदिक में ‘दुह्य’ ~ ‘दुर्गम/कठिन’ भी (पाठ-परम्परा अनुसार)Role Kartā (यदि ‘अंहतिः’ के साथ विशेषण-सम्बन्ध) / विशेषणRoot दुह् (धातु) → क्त/क्तिन्-आधारित कृदन्त; वैदिक ‘दूढ्य’ (दुह्/दोह् से) ‘दुह्य/दूढ्य’
- परिद्वेषसः
- encircling hatreds / surrounding hostilitiesNounप्रथमा बहुवचन (परिद्वेषसः = ‘surrounding hatreds/hostilities’); वैदिक -as-स्तेम का nom. pl. -asah > -asāḥ/ -asaḥRole Kartā/हेतु (agent-like plural subject with following predicate)Root परि-द्विष् (धातु) → ‘द्वेषस्’ (प्रातिपदिक, नपुंसक) + परि- (उपसर्ग) → ‘परिद्वेषस्’
- अंहतिः
- harm, injuryNounप्रथमा एकवचन स्त्रीलिङ्गRole Kartā (मुख्य कर्तृ/विषय)Root अंह्/अह् (धातु ‘to press, injure’) → ‘अंहति’ (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
- ऊर्मिः
- a waveNounप्रथमा एकवचन पुल्लिङ्गRole Kartā (उपमा-विषय)Root ऊर्मि (प्रातिपदिक)
- न
- likeIndeclinableउपमानार्थक निपातRoot न (उपमा/निपात)
- नावम्
- a boatNounद्वितीया एकवचन स्त्रीलिङ्गRole KarmaRoot नौ (प्रातिपदिक) → नाव (स्त्री.)
- आ
- upon, towardIndeclinableउपसर्ग/पूर्वक; क्रिया ‘वधीत्’ के साथ ‘आ-’ = ‘towards, upon’Root आ (उपसर्ग/अव्यय)
- वधीत्
- should strike / harmVerbविधिलिङ् (optative) परस्मैपद, 3 पुरुष एकवचन; ‘वधीत्’ = ‘should strike/kill’ (निषेध ‘मा’ के साथ: ‘must not strike’)Role Kriyā (मुख्य क्रिया)Root वध् (धातु ‘to strike, slay’)
Sandhi Notes
- पदच्छेद (sandhi-resolved): मा | नः | समस्य | दूढ्यः | परिद्वेषसः | अंहतिः | ऊर्मिः | न | नावम् | आ | वधीत् । मुख्य संधि/संयोग: (1) ‘मा नः’ = निषेध + एन्क्लिटिक सर्वनाम। (2) ‘ऊर्मिर्न’ = ऊर्मिः + न (विसर्ग/र्-परिवर्तन: -ः + न → -र् न, वैदिक संधि)। (3) ‘नावमा’ = नावम् + आ (मकारान्त/अनुस्वार-सम्बन्ध: -म् + आ → -मा, लेखन में ‘नावमा’)।
The meaning
Outer meaning
Let not the crushing blow of those who hate on every side strike us, like a wave striking a boat, in the common press/conflict.
Inner meaning
A plea for protection in the inner struggle: hostile forces (paridveṣasaḥ)—thoughts, impulses, and environmental pressures that oppose the ascent—should not overwhelm the sādhanā like a sudden wave capsizing a small vessel. ‘Samasya’ suggests the collective field: the ordinary human battle where many currents clash. Agni is invoked as the stabilizing will that keeps the ‘boat’ of the being afloat.
Universal truth
When surrounded by negativity or resistance, stability and inner fire prevent overwhelm; one must build a vessel strong enough to ride the waves.
Themes
protection, crossing-over, hostile-forces, inner-journey
The seer
- Other hymns
- RV 8.75.1-10
Family tradition
Protective appeals to Agni are pan-Vedic; this verse adopts a vivid nautical simile common to experiential poetry rather than strict ritual description.
Significance
The seer speaks as one who has felt the ‘wave’ of hostile impact; the mantra is a practical safeguard for continuity of sādhanā under pressure.
The deity
- Devata
- Agni (as protector and stabilizer in hostile surround)
- Epithets
- Rakṣitṛ (protector, functional), Pāvaka (purifier), Sahaḥ (power/force, implied)
- Related deities
- Varuṇa (as upholder of ṛta and protector), Indra (as breaker of hostile forces), Maruts (storm-forces that can be allies if harmonized)
Cosmic role
Guards the sacrificer; burns hostile influences; maintains the course of the yajña through turbulence.
Inner power
Steadfast will, resilience, and purifying clarity that prevents overwhelm and restores balance after impact.
In ritual
Where it is used
Protective invocation against hostile forces; applicable to rites/prayers for safe passage through danger (inner and outer).
मा न॑: समस्य दू॒ढ्य१॒॑: परि॑द्वेषसो अंह॒तिः । ऊ॒र्मिर्न नाव॒मा व॑धीत् ॥
मा । नः॒ । स॒म॒स्य॒ । दुः॒ऽध्यः॑ । परि॑ऽद्वेषसः । अं॒ह॒तिः । ऊ॒र्मिः । न । नाव॑म् । आ । व॒धी॒त् ॥
mā | naḥ | samasya | duḥ-dhyaḥ | pari-dveṣasaḥ | aṃhatiḥ | ūrmiḥ | na | nāvam | ā | vadhīt
32
4 x ~8 syllables
Protective negation (mā) with a strong closing simile; the last pāda lands like a wave-beat, making the imagery memorable.
Builds psychological resilience; the wave/boat image anchors the mind during turbulence.
- दुः॒ऽध्यः (duḥ-dhyaḥ)
- Literal: evil-minded; ill-intentioned. Symbolic: perverted thought-forces; discouragement and hostile suggestion
- परि॑ऽद्वेषसः (pari-dveṣasaḥ)
- Literal: hating all around. Symbolic: surrounding pressures of opposition—inner and outer
- अं॒ह॒तिः (aṃhatiḥ)
- Literal: blow, stroke, assault. Symbolic: sudden impact of adverse force; crisis-wave
- ऊ॒र्मिः (ūrmiḥ)
- Literal: wave, surge. Symbolic: emotional/collective turbulence; rising subconscient force
- नावम् (nāvam)
- Literal: boat. Symbolic: the constructed instrument of practice—the disciplined personality carrying consciousness
- स॒म॒स्य (samasya)
- Literal: of the common/collective (press). Symbolic: the shared field of human nature; general life-battle where forces mix
Protective invocation against hostile forces; applicable to rites/prayers for safe passage through danger (inner and outer).
Protective recitation during times of conflict, illness, social hostility, or inner instability; can be used before travel or risky undertakings as a psychological ‘rakṣā.’
Prayer for protection; may accompany offering into fire or lamp-lighting as a symbol of steady Agni.
Use as an anti-overwhelm mantra: during anxiety or social pressure, chant slowly to re-establish inner center and boundaries.
-: pari 'around' + dveṣas (from √dviṣ 'to hate'), indicating encircling forces of denial. : wave (possibly PIE *wel- 'to turn/roll' semantic parallels), used as psychological metaphor for surges of the subconscient. : from √nū/√nā 'boat' (cf. PIE *neh₂u- 'boat', cognate with Latin nāvis).
adversarial forces (dveṣas) as ignorance/denial, steadiness of the journeying soul, Rita as safe crossing
The ‘boat’ is the ordered path of ṛta; hostile waves are forces of disorder that try to deviate the journey.
Refusal to be struck down is fidelity to the soul’s truth-intent.
The human vessel as a formed instrument navigating the cosmic waters—evolution through trials.
Vedic sādhanā as voyage (later echoed in Upaniṣadic ‘crossing’ imagery).
Wave = surge of emotion/subconscient; boat = disciplined personality; surrounding haters = hostile formations/thought-currents.
- What is the primary Vedic 'mythologem' present in this verse?
- The 'crossing' mythologem: the being is a boat; hostile surges (ūrmi) are assaults of obscuring forces. The prayer seeks divine safeguarding so the journey toward truth is not capsized.
- How does the linguistic structure reflect Proto-Indo-European roots?
- nā́vam is a clear IE inheritance (PIE *neh₂u-), widely attested (Latin nāvis). √dviṣ 'hate' is Indo-Iranian (Avestan dviša-), reflecting an old lexicon for adversarial/hostile forces in ritual-poetic language.
- What is the relationship between the Rishi and the Devata here?
- The rishi’s stance is vulnerability within struggle (samasya) and reliance on the deity’s ordering protection. The exchange is: human persistence in the voyage; divine prevention of the decisive 'blow' that would end the progress.
Stabilize the inner ‘boat’ (body-breath-mind) and invoke Agni as the steady flame that cannot be drowned by waves.
Muladhara (stability)
Box breathing (4-4-4-4) or lengthened exhale (e.g., 4 in / 8 out) while visualizing waves settling.
Grounded resilience; protected equanimity.
When overwhelmed, feel the spine as the mast and the heart-flame as a lamp; let hostile thoughts be seen as waves outside the vessel; chant until the sense of ‘being struck down’ is replaced by steady witnessing and will.
Let the two mā openings be firm and protective; slightly emphasize the simile phrase ‘ūrmir na nāvam’ to imprint the image.
mā | naḥ | samasya | duḥ-dhyaḥ | pari-dveṣasaḥ | aṃhatiḥ | ūrmiḥ | na | nāvam | ā | vadhīt.
duḥ-dhyaḥ: pronounce visarga before dhy (a light ‘h’); keep dhy cluster clear, pari-dveṣasaḥ: retroflex ṣ; avoid ‘dveshasah’ without retroflex, aṃhatiḥ: nasal ‘ṃ’ before h; don’t drop it, vadhīt: long ī; dental dh
Low, steady, grounding; end with a settled cadence to signal safety.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Rig Veda in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
